


Chocolate and Roses.

by Spark_Stark



Category: Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Genre: Domestic Boyfriends, Fake Marriage, Father-Son Relationship, Finkel has one big time, Flower Shop Owners, Flowers, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Getting Together, Klenzendorf would make a great dad, M/M, Mild Smut, Nazi Germany, Post-World War II, Sharing a Bed, Sort Of, Uniform Kink, World War II, eventually, i'll include the facts and research i found while writing this at the end of each chapter, shame it's a nazi uniform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23515312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spark_Stark/pseuds/Spark_Stark
Summary: Captain Klenzendorf doesn't even know what the point of his life is anymore. Fighting for a cause he doesn't support and a country that doesn't support him. Fredrich Finkel, a recruit in his new company, catches his attention -perhaps a little too much- and after self-proclaimed Operation Screw-Up they are both sent to teach the Hitlerjugend camp in Finkel's hometown; Falkenheim. A conversation and an empty garage was all they needed to fall hard for each other. They live side-by-side through the war and make their escape to the Netherlands.
Relationships: Freddy Finkel/Captain Klenzendorf, Jojo Betzler & Captain Klenzendorf
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

It started the day Freddy walked into his office. All the recruits in his new company were training at the camp outside and Klenzendorf had wanted to meet each man individually. Although they were not men at all, most of them were eighteen year old boys eager to shoot guns and earn praise, they had no idea what they were walking into. He was stationed outside Düsseldorf at remote training barracks. The truck had arrived two hours ago and Kurt had instructed his 1st Lieutenant Officer Müller to send each recruit into his office tent to interview them. 

Last on his list was a young Fredrich Finkel. The tent was opened by an on guard officer and he walked in. Shoulders perfectly squared and back straight. “Heil Hitler” He had said strongly and the tent was closed again. Klenzendorf looked up from his page to return the salute. 

Captain Klenzendorf was no stranger to attractive men. He frequented discrete gay bars in the cities he had travelled to since he had joined the army twelve years ago, only a young man himself. “Sit down, young man.” He said politely. Finkel nodded once and did as instructed. Kurt tried not to stare, but his top two shirt buttons were undone and sweat was rolling down his neck. Finkel’s sleeves were rolled up past him elbows and his trousers were tight around his thighs. Kurt bit his lip and looked back down at his page. 

“What is your name, age and hometown?” He tried not to look back up as Finkel answered. 

“Fredrich Albert Finkel. Twenty one years old, born December 7th 1923 in Falkenheim, Nuremberg, sir.” Finkel replied confidently. Kurt allowed himself another glance at the man. He had run his fingers through his hair, the soft blonde locks had ruffled by the exercise he had been doing for the past two hours. His short fringe was falling over his forehead and Kurt couldn’t deny he had to fight a smile from his face at the sight. 

He pushed his papers aside. “A long was from Falkenheim, Mister Finkel.” He said conversationally. Finkel nodded and relaxed his shoulders slightly at the captain’s friendly tone. 

“I-I came to serve my country and assist in the war effort, sir.” Finkel stuttered and looked away from Klenzendorf. 

Klenzendorf chuckled. He had heard that sentence close to twenty times this evening. However, Finkel did not fit into the same category as the other young men. He seemed much softer. Physically, Finkel was not lacking in muscle definition –much to Klenzendorf’s favour- and he looked as fit as a man his age could be. But under the surface, Kurt could tell he was different from the other recruits. He did not feel at edge with him like he did with the others, despite being their superior officer he felt as if he must behave himself out of fear of the other men. To put it simply, he was intimidated by them. 

Klenzendorf stood up from behind his desk and walked around it to lean against the front of it and face Finkel without any obstructions. Finkel made to stand up but Kurt stopped him with a hand gesture. “How many times did you practise that little phrase in your head today, Finky?” He asked. He had played this game with some recruits before, he purposefully mispronounced the young man’s name to see what his reaction would be. Would he correct him?

“It’s the truth.” He said quietly. Kurt thought he looked so gentle and innocent like this. 

Another chuckle from Klenzendorf as he unbuttoned his jacket and leaned his arms against the desk behind him. He heard Finkel’s breath catch in his throat. He lowered his voice and said, “You don’t have to lie to me, Finky.”

Finkel was sweating and it was not because of the exercise he had been forced to do. Unlike the captain, Freddy was not often in the company of attractive men. Klenzendorf was a handsome man and he certainly looked awful attractive in his uniform. Finkel was still a young man anyways, he had urges and daring thoughts. 

That made things slightly more terrifying for Finkel. Was Captain Klenzendorf on to him? Was he too obvious? He had never had to hide much back home. A strong hand landed on his shoulder and his mind whipped back into the present. Captain Klenzendorf had moved from the desk and was now standing in front of him with his hand on his shoulder. “I promise not to lie to you, sir.” He said. 

Klenzendorf nodded and squeezed his shoulder briefly before letting go and re-buttoning his jacket. “It’s getting late, young man. Go to your tent and write to you mother. Sharpshooter training starts at 0600 hours tomorrow.”

Finkel stood up and straightened his uniform. “Thank you, sir. Heil Hitler.” The captain saluted him and walked with him to the entrance of the tent. He told himself he had been risky enough as he was and restrained himself from placing his hand on the young man’s back. 

“It was nice to meet you. Good night, Finkel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st Lieutenant is the rank below Captain.  
> 7th December is my birthday so I used it so it would be easy to remember and also birthday scene later on in the story...  
> Berlin a.k.a the gay capital of Europe. The city had a big LGBTQ+ population before Hitler. According to some researchers, more than 500,000 LGBTQ+ Germans were sent to work camps when Hitler came to power.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt rose at 0530 hours with an immediate sense of regret. What was he thinking last night? Being so open and obvious towards a recruit like that. If the young man was as loyal to his country as he claimed, he should have rightfully ran and reported Klenzendorf to the Gestapo as soon as he left the tent. 

Paranoia struck the captain as he dressed for the day. Were the Gestapo outside his tent waiting to take him away? Surely they would’ve just taken him during the night. During his years in service he had rationalised with himself that this new Germany that Hitler had created was no place for hopeful thinking. 

He walked to the edge of the barracks and watched the sun rise over the field of flowers in the distance. A routine he had created for himself over the past few years. Klenzendorf was a city boy, rarely was he given a horizon to watch the sun come over before his time in the army. After a few minutes he felt somebody else’s presence. Expecting it to be Lieutenant Müller, he turned to start a conversation with him. He was surprised to see it was the young man Fredrich Finkel that he had basically harassed in his tent last night standing beside him. 

This is it, he thought, he’s come to blackmail me. “Good morning, Mister Finkel.” He said as professionally as possible. 

Finkel was disappointed by the formal greeting. He –unlike Klenzendorf- was optimistic in thinking that maybe, just maybe, the older man was like him. Finkel’s paranoia hadn’t made an appearance last night contrary to his captain. He had done as Klenzendorf had suggested and written to his older sister in Falkeheim. He told them about his handsome new commander, but in a much less straightforward manner. There was always the possibility that somebody in the Gestapo would open their mail and read it. He wrote it with his mother in his mind. Freddy’s mother had always been accepting of her son’s sexuality even before he knew he was a homosexual. She had come from Berlin, which was renounced for its gay culture. She had moved out to Falkenheim to have a family with a man she was totally besotted with. He had fought in the Great War before retiring to the suburbs to start a family. Freddy had not known anything but acceptance about his sexuality until he was seventeen years old and his mother had broken down into tears while reading a letter from an old friend. Her friend had been arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned for her sexuality. That was when reality had started to sink in for Freddy, but he still tried to live his life as an optimist like his mother had raised him to be. 

“Good morning, captain.” He responded in a cheerful but similar professional tone. They stood in silence, watching the sunrise over the barracks. It was a few minutes later when Finkel spoke again. “I’ve always liked roses.” His voice was so soft and soothing, Klenzendorf felt bad for assuming this young man was out to blackmail him. 

Klenzendorf smiled and turned to Finkel. “Yeah?” He asked, ditching his formal and distant tone. Finkel hummed in agreement.

“My mama grew them in our home every summer.” He said quietly. Klenzendorf turned back to face the sunrise with a small smile on his face. The noise of the other recruits starting to gather at the camp built up behind them. When the sun had almost fully risen Finkel turned around wordlessly and headed in the direction of the other recruits. Klenzendorf checked his watch; 05.58am. He collected himself and headed towards the camp area. 

After introducing himself and explaining the schedule for the next week, Kurt and Lieutenant Müller began the sharpshooting drills. Every recruit was given a Mauser handgun and directed to the target range to practise. Klenzendorf made him way down the line of recruits while Lieutenant Müller walked towards him from the other side. When he made it down to the end of the line he saw Finkel struggling with his accuracy. 

He approached the younger man and stood beside him. “You are thinking too much, Finky.” He said just loud enough to be heard over the gunfire but to not attract the attention of the other recruits. Finkel pulled the trigger of the handgun again, hitting the edge of the target a few dozen yards away. He sighed and dropped his arms down to his side. 

“I’m sorry, sir. I will try harder.” He said, but Kurt could tell he did not mean it. 

He reached out and Finkel handed him the gun. Without looking at the target, Klenzendorf lifted the gun up and shot at the target, hitting the dead centre. He maintained eye contact with Finkel. “It’s not about trying hard. You have to trust your instincts. I think your instincts are telling you not to shoot the gun at all.” He said kindly.

Finkel physically flinched. “N-No, sir!” He tried to protest, but Klenzendorf shushed him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay.” He said softly. Finkel relaxed under the captain’s contact. Klenzendorf felt the shift under his palm. “You don’t have to shoot...” He reassured him. He slid his hand down Finkel’s arm to rest at his elbow. “If you do not want to.”

Finkel looked down at Klenzendorf’s hand on his elbow and looked back up at him with a small smile on his face. They stood there, just staring at each other with soft smiles on their faces for a few seconds. Klenzendorf broke eye contact and looked over Finkel’s shoulder to see Lieutenant Müller coming in their direction, fortunately he had not noticed them yet. Klenzendorf regrettably dropped his hand from Finkel’s elbow and took out the magazine from the gun and emptied the bullets onto the ground. He pushed the mag back into the gun and handed it back to Finkel and winked at him. 

He tried his hardest not to blush, but Finkel could feel the heat on his cheeks. Klenzendorf kicked the bullets away and walked towards Müller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 24 Hour time is military standard.  
> I don't actually know if roses are native to Germany or not, I couldn't find much information about that. But it's for the plot so let's just pretend.  
> The Nazi Party controlled pretty much everything at that time, it was often that the Gestapo would go through people's mail.  
> Mauser guns were used by the SS during WWII.


	3. Chapter 3

The hot water poured down his back and Kurt tried his hardest not to think about it. He couldn’t get Finkel out of his mind. He bit his lip hard and tried to quieten his moans as he came to the thought of the young man with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair ruffled and damp with sweat like it had been during their first meeting.

It’d only been two days since meeting him, but Klenzendorf was swooning over Finkel like a schoolgirl. Although Finkel had an athletic build, he was clearly not meant to be a soldier. Klenzendorf felt sorry for him and had promised himself he would find a way to get the man away from the grim front lines. 

The captain took his time getting out of the shower and going about his evening. Dressed down to just his standard uniform shirt, trousers and boots, Klenzendorf sat down at his desk and rifled through papers of tactics and schematics for him and his new company. He was to be leading these innocent, young men to the front lines in Belgium in a month’s time. Only a minute after he had sat down, Lieutenant Müller walked hastily into the tent. “Captain.” He greeted Klenzendorf. 

“Yes, Lieutenant Müller?” 

Müller looked panicked and was shaking slightly. “There was a reported sighting by one of the recruits about twenty minutes ago of an enemy plane.” He spoke hurriedly but found it hard to get words out of his mouth. Klenzendorf gestured for him to continue speaking. “We tried to inform you straight away... But the on guard officers said you were showering. We couldn’t- headquarters have just sent an FuG and-” 

There was a deafening echo that interrupted Müller. The ground started to shake and another loud echo was heard. Klenzendorf rose to his feet immediately and made towards the camp centre. “Defence positions!” He and Müller started to shout. The young recruits ran from their tents to the concrete bunker across the barracks. 

The explosions got closer and the ground shook more violently. Dirt and stone was thrown upwards from the ground by the bomb dropped from fighter planes above them. Klenzendorf looked up at the sky and saw a hurricane overhead. He ran towards the bunker and ordered the men into it, counting them as he went along. Four men were unaccounted for. He shouted to Müller to get all the men inside while he went to find the four missing soldiers. 

Another bomb fell from the sky less than sixty feet from where Klenzendorf was standing. The vibration sent him tumbling to the ground but he recovered himself quickly and kept running towards the camp area. The smoke was thick and instant. He struggled to see through it but he kept going, this was not the worst surprise attack he had fallen victim to. 

There was a clearing in the smoke and he saw three men. He shouted at them to get to the bunker, one of them had tried to shout back but he could not hear them. That was when he noticed that his ears were ringing. He ran quicker towards them. All four of the unaccounted recruits were here. The three he had seen through the smoke clearing were staring in horror at the dented ground.

On the ground, the fourth unaccounted for man was lying still. It was Finkel. “Get to the bunker.” He ordered the three other recruits who turned and ran at his command. He knelt down onto the rubble from the explosions beside Finkel. “Finkle!” He shouted at the man and shook his unresponsive body. 

Finkel’s eyes slowly opened and he looked at Kurt. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief and asked if he was hurt anywhere. 

He didn’t reply at first. “Neck…” He said with a pained expression. The ground shook with another explosion. Klenzendorf gently pulled Finkel close to him. He put Finkel’s arm around his shoulders and lifted him up against his side. He was strong enough to carry the man’s weight with him but they were moving slower. Finkel was barely conscious. 

Klenzendorf didn’t feel it. His vision blurred and he was thrown to the ground by the vibration of another explosion. He felt his blood splattered on his face and he felt Finkel lying against his side. The last thing he saw was the fear in Finkel’s eyes before they both lost consciousness again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Company is a term used for a group that a Captain controls.  
> FuG is short for Funkgerät, which means radio device. A simple wireless communication system that military camps used to communicate with each other.  
> The city of Dusseldorf is near the Belgian border which is why i chose there as the location.  
> The Hawker Hurricane (known commonly as a hurricane) was an RAF fighter plane used during the war. The Spitfire was used for defence and the Hurricane was used as a bomber.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dark when he woke up. He knew he was in a hospital bed, it was much more comfortable than his bed in his tent on the barracks in Düsseldorf. It was eerily silent, Klenzendorf had very rarely ever been in a quiet room since he was a child. Growing up with four younger sisters in the city, it was always noisy. People, cars, music. When he turned 24 and joined the army, the sound of younger siblings and city bustle was replaced with booming voices and gunshots and marching. And now, at 36 years old, Klenzendorf could finally hear himself think. 

The room was cold. The thin sheets did not retain any heat at all. Klenzendorf was still wearing his white shirt and dark green trousers. The shirt was stiff with blood on the collar and down the front. His face felt clean, they must have wiped it clean while he was unconscious. He was in a room with three other beds, but they were all unoccupied. He didn’t feel any pain, there was a needle in his arm administering him morphine. Klenzendorf felt humiliated like this. Lying uselessly in a hospital bed, reliant on pain-killers and doctors to look after him because of an incident that he would’ve had under control if he wasn’t thinking about that boy!

He tried to sit up in his bed. With the medication, it wasn’t as tough as he expected it to be. He swung his feet out of the bed and pulled the morphine needle from his arm. His boots were at the bottom of the bed frame. He did not have any socks but that didn’t matter to Klenzendorf. He felt shameful and ridiculous. He made his way through the dark hallways of the hospital ward. His depth perception was skewed, everything he saw was too far to the left. It must be the drugs, he thought.

A sight caught his attention when he was stumbling down the seemingly endless corridor. There was a man sitting up in his bed looking at a newspaper with a small side-lamp on the table beside him. He stepped into the room and noticed the ward was full of young men. Soldiers. His soldiers. 

“Captain?” The soldier reading the newspaper said. Kurt recognised that soft voice. It was Finkel. 

He walked to Finkel’s bed. “Are you okay, Finkel?” He whispered. 

Finkel smiled up at his captain. “I am, sir.” Klenzendorf’s relief was immediate. The young man was smiling his beautiful smile at him, even though he would not be in that shabby hospital bed if it were not for Klenzendorf’s stupid mistake. 

“Your neck…” Klenzendorf’s hand reached out subconsciously to touch the pink scar that was forming on the side of Finkel’s neck. The younger man relaxed under his captain’s touch. Finkel did not say anything in return, he did not want to ruin this moment this the man he was quickly becoming fixated on. 

Klenzendorf ran his fingers gently over the scar that went from under Finkel’s jaw down to his collarbone. It was only then did he notice that Finkel was only wearing a white vest shirt. His defined muscles were on display for Klenzendorf to openly admire. Finkel shuddered under Klenzendorf’s touch. He let out a long breath and closed his eyes. Klenzendorf felt himself move closer to Finkel. 

Finkel opened his eyes and looked at Klenzendorf. He sat there and just looked at the other man, not knowing what to say. “I’m…” The words faded away into the cold, dark room. 

It was so easy, Klenzendorf thought. He could easily get rid of the gap between them and kiss Finkel. But he didn’t. He had to restrain himself, as much as he might’ve wanted it –and he wanted it a lot- he could not do such an inappropriate thing. Whether Finkel was a homosexual or not, it was highly illegal under the new Reich’s laws. He would be looked down upon and spat at. He would be treated the same as the innocent Jewish people all across Europe. They probably wouldn’t even waste their time torturing him. The Gestapo would just shoot him and leave him in the street. His sisters would never receive another letter from him. They would assume he had died on the front lines, a hero to his country. So very wrong they would be. 

He stepped back and let his hand drop to his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't have any fun facts about this chapter :(


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i just wanted to put a note in here to say that yes i am aware that this differs from the canon as Taika said that Klenzendorf and Freddy met in 1933 in Berlin. I will be writing other works where this is the starting point but i just wanted to upload something where their relationship came at the height of the war rather than having it pre-established. :)

The letter arrived two days later. Klenzendorf was waiting in his tent. He knew what was coming. 

Unfit for duty. His belonging were already packed and ready at the entrance. He shouldn’t have been upset about this, he was no longer able to contributing to the German war effort and he wouldn’t be killed for it. But at the same time, it felt as if twelve years of his life had been wasted. He had dreamed of becoming a soldier. Of returning home after a gruesome war to his mother and sisters and be greeted like a hero. 

Nobody in the Waffen-SS was a hero. Nobody in the entire Nazi Party was a hero. A real hero would have stood up and told Hitler that what he was doing was wrong, and not fear the consequences. Klenzendorf didn’t want to be a Nazi. He had joined the army in 1932, When Hitler’s part still had the minority of Reichstag seats. Everything had gone downhill so quickly. He never had the chance to say ‘no’ before a promotion was thrown upon him and he had been given orders of assassinating potential political opponents. 

Klenzendorf loaded his bag into the back of the Bussing truck that was taxing him back to the city headquarters where he would receive his next set of orders. He noticed another bag in the truck, it seemed he wasn’t the only one pulled from active service. He felt the guilt heavily. Although it was definitely for the best of the young man, he would be shamed by his comrades. Made fun of for not being good enough for the war effort. Just like himself. Klenzendorf thought it was all his fault. The attack was completely preventable. Although he was older and the war would soon be over, this was meant to be the beginning of somebody’s life. And he had screwed it up. 

He sat in the back of the truck by himself; part of him wanting to meet the young man whose life he had simultaneously saved and ended, and the other part of him wanted to run like a coward. He was scared of how the other man would act towards him. 

All inner conflicts were grounded to a halt when Freddy Finkel climbed into the truck and sat opposite him. He saluted the captain and Klenzendorf returned it. The truck began to drive out of the barracks and onto the country roads that would lead them to the city. “Mister Finkel, I cannot begin to ap-”

Finkel cut him off by grabbing Klenzendorf into a tight hug. “Thank you, sir.” He whispered after a few seconds. Klenzendorf was confused but allowed himself to hug the younger man. He smelled of roses and chocolate. Finkel pulled away a moment later and collected himself. 

Kurt tried not to look too disappointed. “What do you have to thank me for, Finkel?” Klenzendorf asked, but he already knew. He had seen the other man’s uniform the day of sharpshooter practice, it was a small symbol but he knew what it meant. The paperclip on his shirt pocket. 

“I… never wanted to be here-” Finkel hesitantly tries to explain himself to Klenzendorf before he is stopped.

Klenzendorf points to the paperclip on his own belt loop and winks at him. “We are more similar than we think, it seems.” Klenzendorf knows this is risky; Finkel might be anti-Nazi but that doesn’t imply that he is pro-homosexuality. 

Finkel blushes and the smile that Klenzendorf loves so much covers his face again. “Can I ask you something, Captain Klenzendorf?” Finkel asks shyly. 

Klenzendorf leans back against the side of the truck. “Please Finkel, call me Kurt when we are alone.”

“Call me Freddy… If you wish.” Finkel replied.

Kurt smiled easily. “I’d like that, Freddy. So you wanted to ask me something?”

Freddy nodded but didn’t say anything for a few moments. Kurt waited patiently for him to speak. “What is going to happen to us… when we return to the headquarters?” He asked. Kurt could sense his worry. He put his hand on Freddy’s shoulder and Freddy lifted his eyes to meet Kurt’s. 

“I don’t know, I really don’t. But I will try to keep you safe. I know you will be treated differently now… because you cannot fight on the front lines. They will call you weak and they will call you a coward. But Freddy, you are not weak. And you are not a coward. If you were either of those you would have run so far from here. You are still here because you are strong and you are brave.” Kurt squeezed his shoulder and promised him. “I will keep you safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the 1930 election, the nazi party received 18% of the votes. although it was quite a big amount and they now had significant power, the government was not fully controlled by that party. Many Germans still didn't take Hitler seriously.
> 
> It was usually the SA that assassinated other politicians etc. but for the story I just threw it in that Klenzendorf was also involved. 
> 
> Bussing (with the dots over the u, i'm not sure what the name for that is.) was a truck manufacturer in Germany in the 1930's and during the war they manufactured trucks for the army. 
> 
> This is my favourite detail!! In Norway, they considered the paperclip to be a norwegian invention (there is a bit of controversy about who actually invented it) and after the Nazi invasion and during their occupation of Norway, students in Olso University wore paperclips as a symbol of resistance and unity against the Nazi's. In Jojo Rabbit, Klenzendorf can be seen with a paperclip on his belt during the HJ scene. 
> 
> Many soldiers who were decommissioned were considered cowards by German society. Just like Jojo in the scene where the older HJ boys ride past in a truck and insult him because he can't be sent to war.


	6. Chapter 6

Captain Klenzendorf stood in the Major’s office. His head was bowed as he listened to his superior’s onslaught of verbal abuse and degradation. “And that other cripple boy, what was his name?” The Major asked him.

“Fredrich Finkel, sir.” He replied carefully. 

“Yes, that’s him. He would have made a fine soldier. You have taken that away from him. His one purpose; to serve de führer. Useless little boy he is now.” Kurt tried not to outright laugh at the major’s statement. Freddy was fit and able to follow instructions, but he was never meant to be a soldier. Kurt and him knew that both. “Lieutenant Müller will take temporary command of your company until a new officer has been appointed.” 

Kurt nodded. Müller was headstrong and completely devoted to the Party. “And me, sir?” He asked. 

The major barked out an uncharacteristic laugh. “There is a Hitlerjugend training camp scheduled for this weekend near Nuremberg in Falkenheim.” Kurt was relieved but he did not dare show it. Being assigned to Hitlerjugend duty was basically a demotion but involving less paperwork. It could’ve been a lot worse, it was a small mercy. “You will be stationed in Nuremberg for the foreseeable future.”

He cleared his throat. “If I may, sir. With Lieutenant Müller remaining in Düsseldorf, am I to be relieved of a second-in-command?” 

The other man groaned. He made a dismissive hand gesture to Kurt. “Take that cripple boy with you.” Kurt nodded and saluted the major before leaving. He was given some papers on the way out by a young woman about the specifications of his new post in Nuremberg. With one thing on his mind, Kurt made his way towards the town’s military bar. 

When he arrived he saw Freddy sitting at a small table by himself, away from the main crowd. “Good evening, Freddy.” He said kindly as he approached the young man.

“Hello, sir- uh, Kurt. Sit if you wish.” Freddy stuttered nervously, clearly caught off guard by Kurt’s unexpected arrival. 

Kurt smiled at him. “I have some news for you.” He said happily. Freddy raised an eyebrow over his glass. “You shall be stationed at the same post as me. We leave at 0600 hours tomorrow.”

Freddy put his glass down on the table. “I-I thought you said you’d… I’d never have to shoot a gun.” He was scared and confused. Paranoia came to the forefront of Freddy’s mind. This was all a trick, of course the captain didn’t want to be friends with him. Kurt was trying to lure him into a false sense of security and then have him exposed. Kurt mightn’t even be a Captain, he could be a Gestapo agent. 

“You won’t have to. I promised you, we are not going to fight. We are commanding a Hitlerjugend camp in Falkenheim this weekend.” Kurt went to cover Freddy’s hand with his own but quickly stopped himself. This was not the place for those sort of displays. 

“Falkenheim?” Freddy asked, hope and optimism jumping to the surface.

Kurt nodded with a smile on his face. “Your hometown. You will be my assistant, Sub-Officer Finkel.” He would be classified as a sub-officer as he is a non-commissioned soldier. 

Freddy was overjoyed. “I must write to my sister and tell her! I am not going to war, I’m going home.” Kurt thought he saw tears at the rim of Freddy’s eyes. 

He smiled at him. “You’re going home, Finky.” He whispered. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the atmosphere between them and the good news they had received. Kurt looked at his watch and stood up. “It is getting late, I should go. I am an old man and I need my beauty sleep. I will see you in the morning, Freddy.” He bid goodbye to Freddy and left the bar. 

Freddy tried not to watch him as he left, but he couldn’t seem to look away. When Kurt was a few steps away from the door he looked over his shoulder at Freddy. They made eye contact and Kurt winked at Freddy. He felt himself blush heavily and he ducked his head. He heard Kurt’s small laugh from the door as he left the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major was the rank above captain in the SS.  
> I'm not really sure about the sub-officer rank to be honest...

**Author's Note:**

> 1st Lieutenant is the rank below Captain.  
> 7th December is my birthday so I used it so it would be easy to remember and also birthday scene later on in the story...  
> Berlin a.k.a the gay capital of Europe. The city had a big LGBTQ+ population before Hitler. According to some researchers, more than 500,000 LGBTQ+ Germans were sent to work camps when Hitler came to power.


End file.
